Resource Nodes
Aminal
Join Date: 2002-12-12 Member: 10610Members, Constellation
Join Date: 2002-12-12 Member: 10610Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">aliens get res easier.</div> 1> A alien resource tower is automatically defended by skulks who get alerted when it is under attack.
2> TF + ~3 Turrets + res tower becomes to expensive to cover too many res points
3> A gorge can cover 3-4 RTs in about 6-11 mins and be securing second hive position
4> Buggy minimap means commanders can't keep track of RT's status properly.
result
1> Aliens control the resources on the map quickly and effectivly
2> Marines run on low resources, restricting upgrades and equipment.
3> Aliens take all but the most local nodes to marine base, get fades, and kick the marines butts.
Mostly, its probably my bad commandering or having bad commanders, but it is far more difficult to secure resources as marines than it is for alien team.
Does have any advice as to how to secure nodes more reliably so that marines have the money to spend on upgrades and equipment? Or any recommendations as to how the game could be improved so that marines dont have this disadvantage?
2> TF + ~3 Turrets + res tower becomes to expensive to cover too many res points
3> A gorge can cover 3-4 RTs in about 6-11 mins and be securing second hive position
4> Buggy minimap means commanders can't keep track of RT's status properly.
result
1> Aliens control the resources on the map quickly and effectivly
2> Marines run on low resources, restricting upgrades and equipment.
3> Aliens take all but the most local nodes to marine base, get fades, and kick the marines butts.
Mostly, its probably my bad commandering or having bad commanders, but it is far more difficult to secure resources as marines than it is for alien team.
Does have any advice as to how to secure nodes more reliably so that marines have the money to spend on upgrades and equipment? Or any recommendations as to how the game could be improved so that marines dont have this disadvantage?
Comments
And while it is true that to even think that a res point is defended you need at least 4 turrets, it is possible for those res points to serve a dual purpose. Most importantly, it should be doubling as a hive location. The first (or possibly second if you are facing a poor alien team) res spot you take should be in (or near in the case of Caged) a hive location. Secondly, it might be a busy hallway and your turrets will cut off or slow any alien movement through the area.
If you are good, skulks won't have the time to munch down your nodes without getting their hive anniliated.
You must have played against a weak team of marines. If aliens controll 80% of the RNs on the map they can usually win if they have a good gorge, and cooperation. I just played a game where the COMM had the RN at the marine spawn, they took Eclipse and maintenace (total of 3RTs) I built at Triad, Horse, Alpha, Loop, Power Sub Junt, and CC. We had an orginized team of skulks I crawled from loop into Maint with DC and OCs and we took back maint. And won the game. The COMM attmepted to sige from maint twice, and each time we ate the TF. He was out of res, and the rest of my team was 33/33. So I was constantly at 100/100 as soon as the PG was down at maint I Dropped hive, and had enough to defend the area very well. We kept them out of the keyhole untill we god fades, and the rest is history.
An alien resource point can randomly go to one of many places, and it cannot be forced to where it would be most useful. It may sit in a skulk for the duration of the game accomplising nothing, or it could be given to the gorge who can make something useful of it, or it could go into a fade if you are lucky enough to get two hives. This uncertainty means you will need more alien resource points to be certain you will be able to do one specific thing you want to.
Marine resources are more versitile. One mind can divert every single point to where it is thought to be most useful. Want to put every point into upgrades? You can do that. Want to put 50 turrets in both occupied hives? Well thats kinda lame but still you can use every point you have to do it.
So if the aliens and marines were given an equal number of resources, all marine points would be spent usefully, but only some of the alien would be, as many would sit in useless places.
Second point, it is easier for aliens to claim more resource nodes than marines. The process of doing this includes constructing resource towers, protecting resource towers, and destroying enemy resource towers.
The aliens have the advantage in constructing resource towers because skulk domination of the map to start allows a gorge to build with impunity. (every time I gorge on caged, i can usually get up 4 or 5 rt's before seeing a single marine) One gorge can build a tower himself. For marines to build a tower, both the commander and a nearby marine must put effort into it, and beyond that, there <i>should</i> be additional marines to cover.
The aliens have the advantage in protecting resource towers also. When an alien rt comes under fire every player immediately knows. Skulks are fast, and can easily come to the rescue. Offensive chambers are cheap and effective. They will stop a marine from reaching a tower to kill it, unless he invests a large amount of time and ammunition (all while causing a red blip on the hive sight.) They remain effective until the marines have higher technology. Marine protection of rt's is much weaker. Turrets take a long time to build, are expensive, and the minimum investment if you want it to have a chance of standing up to one skulk is 73 rp's. But this is vulnerable with effort just like taking out offense chambers, the difference is marines are slow to respond in defense. The commander must notice the tower is under attack, then the orders must be issued to go defend, then the marine must follow the orders, then he must slowly navigate the map, then maybe he'll save the tower, or maybe die, or probably not make it in time. Bottom line here, aliens are quick to respond, marines are not.
Finally, when it comes to destroying enemy resources, aliens once again have the advantage. Skulks roam the map quickly and freely. Marines slowly, and often get eaten along the way. Skulks quickly deal damage quickly with bite, and are only hindered by energy, but just barely. Marines can noisily blow ammo, but cannot carry enough single handedly to destroy even one resource tower. The other option is the knife, which is weak, and slow, and when that skulk comes to save it, being there with your knife out won't improve your survival chances.
For these reasons, aliens in a given game should have more resource towers, yet this balances out because the alien resources are less valuable point for point. uhh i forgot why i was explaining that as i wrote it... but anyway it's good stuff to know i guess <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' valign='absmiddle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
marines with no upgrades can easily win the game
just learn how to aim
* Marines can easily detect and destroy unprotected RT's
* Khaara are WAY slower at getting RT's the first 10 minutes of the game
And yes, marines do have a very good time noticing unguarded alien rts, with scans, but to kill them, as I said, you have to actually get a marine to go there, then you need a few minutes of safety to knife away. Those are actually not very safe moments though, with the hive sight broadcasting your actions... so you'll need two more guys to cover... and another couple to knife two would make it go faster... and well if you can muster that much teamwork then you deserve to win. But a lone skulk can consistantly and only with one to three attempts kill any marine resource he sets his mind to, even the ones in marine spawn.
Although something i've noticed personally, once the aliens secure two hives it's much easier to rambo alien resource towers, you just choose the side of the map least accessable to where they are attacking at the time, most fades get adrenalin not celerity, and don't blink down long corridors, so you'd be at least saf<i>er</i> than you would if the entire opposing team was skulks.